Hotel conference suites look simple on paper. Four walls, a ceiling, a screen at the front. In reality, they come with fixed layouts, access rules, and AV policies that can limit what you can do.

Unlike conference centres, hotels are built for many uses. A room used for a wedding one night might host a board meeting the next. That means:

• Fixed rigging points
• Limited power in certain areas
• Restrictions on bringing in external suppliers
• Tight load-in and breakdown windows

If you don’t plan around these early, AV becomes stressful and expensive.

Start with the room, not the equipment

Before choosing microphones or screens, get clear on the room itself.

Ask the venue for:

• Room dimensions and ceiling height
• Floor plan options (theatre, cabaret, classroom)
• Pillars, chandeliers, or low beams
• Window positions and blackout options
• Where power sockets are located

A long, narrow room needs a different audio and screen setup than a wide room. Guessing leads to poor sound coverage and blocked sightlines.

Clarify the event format early

Hotel AV planning gets much easier when the format is locked.

Be clear on:

• Number of speakers on stage at once
• Panels vs single speakers
• Audience Q&A
• Any hybrid or recording needs
• Whether speakers move or stay at a lectern

Each change adds technical requirements. A panel with five speakers needs a different mic and mixing setup than a single keynote.

Audio comes first, always

If people cannot hear clearly, nothing else matters.

What most hotel conferences actually need

• Wireless lapel mic for main speakers
• Handheld wireless mic for Q&A
• A mixer to manage multiple mics and laptop audio
• Speakers placed to cover the room evenly, not just loudly

Hotel rooms often have hard surfaces that cause echo. Good speaker placement and tuning matter more than buying “bigger” speakers.

Screens and visuals, keep it readable

Your slides should be readable from the back row without effort.

Consider:

• Screen size based on room depth
• Projector brightness if the room has ambient light
• Backup laptop or duplicate slide deck
• Where screens are positioned if the room is wide

For many hotel suites, a projector and screen work well. LED screens are useful in bright rooms but often unnecessary for standard conferences.

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Lighting, enough to be seen, not a show

Conference lighting should support visibility, not distract.

Most hotel conferences only need:

• Front lighting so speakers’ faces are visible
• Balanced room lighting so people can take notes
• No glare on screens

Complex lighting rigs are rarely needed unless the event is being filmed or streamed professionally.

In-house AV vs bringing your own supplier

This is where many organisers get caught out.

Hotels often:

• Have a preferred AV supplier
• Charge access or “dry hire” fees
• Limit what external teams can do

Before booking, ask:

• Are we required to use your in-house AV?
• Are external suppliers allowed?
• Are there minimum AV spend requirements?
• What support is included on the day?

Sometimes in-house AV is fine. Sometimes it’s overpriced for basic setups. The key is knowing your options early, not on the invoice.

The questions that prevent last-minute problems

Ask these before confirming AV:

• When can we access the room for setup?
• Is a rehearsal or soundcheck allowed?
• Are there noise restrictions?
• Where can technicians operate from?
• Is internet guaranteed, or shared with guests?
• What happens if equipment fails on the day?

If the answers are vague, push for clarity.

Common mistakes in hotel conference suites

These come up again and again:

• Underestimating how quiet the back of the room is
• Forgetting roaming mics for Q&A
• Relying on venue Wi-Fi for streaming without testing
• No technical support during the event
• Changing the agenda without updating the AV plan

Most AV issues are planning issues, not equipment failures.

A simple rule for hotel conference AV

If your event has:

• Paying guests
• Senior speakers
• A fixed schedule

Then AV is not the place to cut corners or improvise. A calm, well-planned setup with on-site support is usually cheaper than fixing mistakes under pressure.

Next step:
Once you know your room layout, guest count, and speaker format, an AV team can recommend exactly what you need, without padding the setup or overselling kit.